


Some Dates

by jamesgatz1925



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Dating, Developing Relationship, Established Relationship, Fluff, Humor, M/M, will add tags
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-19
Updated: 2020-02-23
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:29:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22797091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jamesgatz1925/pseuds/jamesgatz1925
Summary: Dating, to Rafael Barba and Sonny Carisi.
Relationships: Rafael Barba/Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 49





	1. Second Date

**Author's Note:**

> Each chapter is prompted by a Buzzfeed quiz I took about creating a date. There were six options for four questions and these are a mixture of each.

Sonny eyed Rafael making his way through the precinct floor. He closed out the tab on his phone that had been used for extensive research. He was waiting for Rafael to wander through so he could ask about their evening plans. 

It was the night of their second date, or Sonny had hoped. He hasn’t asked yet. He was going to. He would when Rafael was going to leave the precinct; he’d ask the counselor if he could walk him out and maybe they could discuss. 

Sonny had always been one for romance, but last week—during their first date—Rafael had mentioned that he was too old to be swept off his feet, but that it could be fun to do something different and exciting. Nothing too exciting, nothing grand, and that was why Sonny had spent the better part of the morning Googling exciting date ideas. 

After searching and searching, and discovering perhaps some date ideas that were a big no, he settled on something that was sure to be unique, interesting, and maybe fun: axe throwing. Sonny had heard about the hobby before, mostly from the internet with a few in-person testimonials, and he thought it would be perfect for a date. Plus, the range he found was inside a brewery, so some light beer sampling was sure to add to the experience. 

Sonny was patient at his desk while Rafael visited Benson, with only a hint of jealousy. He wished Rafael was visiting him. Alas, in time, perhaps. 

Almost an hour after he went in, Rafael emerged with a smile on his face. A good meeting. Sonny saw his chance. He jumped up almost as soon as Rafael opened the door, then played it cool as he slowly approached as Rafael and Benson said their goodbyes.

“Counselor?” Sonny squeaked, then cleared his throat. “Uh, can I walk you out?”

Benson gave a knowing smile as Rafael nodded. Surely, Sonny thought, Rafael must have told her. He must have mentioned their date the week previously and how it didn’t entail much fanfare. Maybe he mentioned how natural it felt, how good it felt to finally be out together. That was how Sonny felt, at least. 

Rafael led Sonny to the elevator, but Sonny reached out to press the down button before Rafael could. 

“And they say chivalry is dead,” Rafael joked. 

“What, d’ya want me to pry the door open for you?”

Rafael chuckled. “Try.”

The door pinged open. A uniform officer stepped out as they stepped in, leaving themselves in the small compartment alone. 

Sonny grew nervous all of a sudden. What if Rafael didn’t want to go on another date? It had been a week already, after all. What if he miscalculated the whole thing? What if once was enough? What if Rafael changed his mind?

“What’s going on, Carisi?” Rafael asked. 

Confidence, Sonny reminded himself. 

“I, uh, was wondering if you wanna go out again? Tonight?”

“Tonight?” Rafael repeated, sounding surprised. 

Sonny’s heart sank. “I...we don’t have to...I just thought—“

“No, tonight is fine. As long as I can get back to my office quickly to finish some work.”

Sonny’s heart lifted once again. “Great,” he said. “Awesome. I’ll pick you up at seven?”

“Can’t wait,” Rafael said. 

The elevator pinged again. The door opened, and before Sonny could say anything, Rafael stepped through and was lost in a sea of people in the lobby. 

* * *

Sonny arrived at Rafael’s apartment promptly at seven. Rafael buzzed him up and Sonny ran two at a time up to his door. 

When Rafael answered the door, the wind knocked out of Sonny’s chest then and there. After a quick ‘casual or formal?’ text exchange later in the afternoon, Rafael had apparently chosen a maroon long sleeve shirt that looked thin and soft but hugged him in just the right places. His chest was accented, as was his arms and waist. Sonny couldn’t help but stare. 

“Too casual?” Rafael asked. 

Sonny shook his head, then cleared his throat. “No, uh, you look good. Great.”

Rafael smiled. “As do you, Detective.”

Sonny shrugged. He had on a gray and black raglan shirt and was holding his black jacket. He doubted he looked near as good as Rafael. 

Rafael mentioned that he was going to put on his shoes, so Sonny wandered into the apartment after him. He looked around as much as he could while Rafael did that; he noticed many books on the shelf, a lot of work scattered about the table surfaces, plus a decent sized kitchen. A kitchen he could get a lot done in. 

“Ready?” Rafael asked, snapping him out of his daydream of making pancakes for breakfast and lasagna for dinner. 

Sonny nodded. Rafael smiled, grabbed his jacket, then escorted Sonny out of the apartment. 

Sonny thought they could walk to the brewery. It wasn’t insanely far, but they could work up an appetite and have some privacy. 

If only he knew what to say...

“So,” Rafael finally began after many blocks of silence. “Where are we going?”

“Oh,” Sonny realized he hadn’t even mentioned. But it was a good sign that Rafael agreed without knowing what he was agreeing to. “Well, you said you wanted to do something different, right?”

“Oh, god, what are we going to do?”

Sonny chuckled. “What, you don’t trust me? You don’t trust I can set up something good?”

Rafael eyed him. “Less and less trusting as time passes.”

Sonny grinned. “Alright, well I found online and had a few recommendations, I thought we could go axe throwing.”

Rafael immediately laughed. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Axe throwing! It’s like...like darts, but with axes.”

“That’s seriously a real thing?”

“I’m not even kidding. It’s pretty popular right now. Plus, the place we’re going is a brewery. So we get to taste test some beer.”

“Great. Drunk with weapons.”

“Jesus, beer gets you drunk?”

Rafael laughed. “No, I guess it doesn’t. This all just sounds...crazy.”

“You said you wanted to do something different.”

“Different, indeed. Alright, Carisi, I trust you.”

Sonny smiled. He took a chance in the eye-opening moment to reach between them and take Rafael’s hand. Rafael eagerly squeezed it back. 

* * *

Sonny had reserved a bay when Rafael said yes to their date. One hour, one flight of beers each, and one appetizer to share. After that, they could go up to the restaurant to eat and drink more. 

Sonny knew axe throwing was, well, throwing axes. What he didn’t realize was how physically tricky it would be. Axes were heavy and throwing them just right was hard. He was glad to be in shape, but Rafael was not in as good of a state. 

He looked good, though. Sonny appreciated the flex of his muscles under shirt. Sonny almost didn’t care about putting Rafael through some exertion if he could just watch the man do it. As Rafael took his turns throwing—which he was getting better at each time he finished a tiny glass of beer—Sonny sipped his own beer and stared appreciatively. 

“I’m planning the next date,” Rafael muttered between throws. “And I’m choosing something equally as ridiculous.”

“Next date?” Sonny questioned instead. 

Rafael grinned at being caught. “As long as you don’t eat the last chicken wing.”

Sonny put down the one he’d been chewing, the second to the last. He wiped his hands on his napkin. 

“Play you for it,” he said. 

Rafael paused in his throw. “What?” he asked, turning to Sonny. 

“Three throws each, whoever gets closest to the target gets the last wing.”

Rafael smiled even wider. “Careful, Carisi. You know how competitive I am.” 

“As am I, Rafael. But I’ll even let you go first.”

Rafael shook his head. Sonny downed the last of his beer and watched as Rafael threw three axes, only one sticking in the wood about seven inches from the center to the right. He was clearly proud of himself. 

“Beat that,” Rafael said as he stepped back to their table. 

Sonny kept eye contact as he stepped past Rafael. He didn’t know if it was the beer or the man himself, but Sonny felt a little bit of a high.The slight pink on Rafael’s cheeks told Sonny he felt the same. And as he looked away, Sonny noticed Rafael’s eyes travel down to his ass. 

Sonny almost wanted to let Rafael win. He liked that Rafael was a cocky asshole. He liked Rafael’s chest puffing out to assert his dominance. He liked Rafael after he won. However, Sonny was absolutely just as competitive. So, when he threw, he did his best; all three stuck in the wood, but only one was as close as Rafael’s. 

It was about seven inches from the center to the left. 

“Mine is clearly closer,” Rafael instantly argued. 

Sonny felt a jolt of flirtatiousness. Maybe dirtiness. “Care to measure?” he practically purred. He didn’t know why. 

Rafael’s eyes flashed quickly, dark and searing before going back to simple flirtatiousness. 

“In fact,” Rafael said, approaching Sonny, “I would.”

He used another axe as a makeshift ruler to judge who’s axe was closest. It wasn’t perfect or fully accurate, and it led them to see that they were equidistant from the center. 

Rafael looked so determined while he worked. Sonny just watched him with admiration and adoration. He looked so good, so sexy with his thinking face on and so cute. Sonny didn’t think he had too many beers, but he definitely wasn’t thinking clearly when he leaned over and kissed Rafael. 

“You can have the last wing,” he added as he leaned back, as if the kiss was as casual as their appetizer. 

“But we didn’t—“

“Eat it before I change my mind.”

Rafael smiled. He led Sonny back to their little table. 

Sonny checked his watch. “Our hour just about up. Want to head upstairs to sample some more beers?”

Rafael downed the last of his last cup. “I don’t know what is in this beer, but I’m also going to need more food before I start dancing on the table.”

“I know, right? I was just thinking that I’m definitely feeling it more than I should.”

But Sonny knew the truth; he knew it was Rafael’s company, too. 

Rafael finished the last wing, wiped his hands, then stood from their table. As Sonny rose, Rafael flexed the muscles in his arms and rubbed them. 

“I’ll feel this in the morning,” he commented. 

Sonny stared at his arms. He wanted those arms wrapped around him, those arms holding him tight, to touch those arms and kiss them, even. 

He had enough brain power to not reach out and touch. Not yet. 

Instead, he nervously cleared his throat. “Food?” 

Rafael chuckled. “Lead the way.”

Sonny did. They returned to the restaurant portion of the brewery and sat down for a fine dinner. And more beers. 


	2. Fourth Date

Rafael decided Sonny wasn’t allowed to plan dates anymore. Date No. 3, at his apartment, was warmed with a nice meal, a kiss goodnight, and Sonny going home right after. 

Sonny’s Date No. 4—which, when were they allowed to stop counting?—was spent fuckin’ rock climbing. 

Rafael was so close to disabling Google from any personal device. Where did he find these places? Axe throwing, rock climbing? What was next? Flame throwing?

Of course, Sonny was agile as a spider and had no problem getting up the rock wall. He was friendly with a few workers, so Rafael thought he was partially a regular. It made sense. The man was unconventional and Rafael suspected he would totally be a mountain man if it weren’t for the city. Sonny mentioned camping as a kid and spending summers at his grandparents’ lake house. He was probably a Boy Scout. Rafael shouldn’t have been surprised by Sonny’s rock climbing ability. 

“‘Kay, Rafi,” Sonny said as he descended for the second time, a sweat not even broken on his beautiful forehead. “I’ve gone up twice now. You’re up.”

Rafael was leaning back in his harness, letting the ropes hold his weight. “You sure these are tight enough?”

“I’ve checked them and rechecked them. Unless you’re actively loosening them, you’re good.”

“What if I fall and die? What would you tell my mother?”

“If you die, I’d be more worried about explaining it to Judge Barth, since you got court tomorrow.” 

“Well, what if—“

Sonny let his harness hold his weight too, then swung over to Rafael and kissed him quickly before swinging back. 

“You’ll do great,” Sonny confidently and casually said, then began to climb the wall once again. 

Rafael wondered if there was a limit to how many times people should go up a day. 

Rafael watched Sonny. It was so effortless for the other man to climb the stupid wall. Rafael wanted to punch him. Or kiss him for looking so ridiculously good. 

Rafael took a deep breath. He steadied himself, grabbed hold of the closest pegs on the wall, then pulled himself up. 

And immediately regretted every decision he’d ever made in his life. His arms strained and shook as he pulled himself to the next set of knobs in the wall. His feet moved shakily next, and without giving himself time to overthink, he climbed up the next set. 

“Look at that!” Sonny called down from where he was more than halfway up the wall. 

Rafael grunted in reply. 

“Breathe,” Sonny reminded him. 

Rafael let out a deep breath and immediately sucked back in. His hands hurt where they were tight on the pegs. He was still shaking. 

“You can do it!” Sonny cried. 

“This is bullshit,” Rafael muttered. 

He heard Sonny laugh, then the other man’s rope loosening. In seconds, Sonny was next to him. 

“Wanna give up?” Sonny asked. 

“I feel like this is a weird test. Like you won’t keep dating me unless I’m good at this weird hobby of yours.”

Sonny chuckled. “I never expected you to be good at it. I’ve practiced, like, a lot. For years. I just though it’d be fun and different.”

“Do me a favor, please? Less ‘different’ dates. Let’s just do dinners and movies like normal people.”

“So, I should cancel our canoeing tour of the Hudson?”

Rafael glared at him.

“I’m kidding! Come on, let’s get down.”

Rafael didn’t want to let Sonny down. He didn’t want to prove Sonny’s suspicion that he was a loser. So, instead, Rafael reached for the next peg. Then the next. Then the next. 

In no time and without thinking about it, Rafael was halfway up the wall. Sonny was cheering next to him, offering words of encouragement and sounding excited. Rafael was weirdly proud of himself. He’d never been proud of physical activity. He’d never been good at anything. 

Somehow, Rafael made it up the wall. He rang the bell Sonny had rang many times that afternoon, then let go and let the rope hold him to descend. 

Sonny was waiting for him at the bottom. He attacked Rafael in a hug and Rafael wasn’t even bothered that he couldn’t catch his breath. 

“So proud of you, Raf. You did so good.”

“Thanks,” Rafael panted. 

When they were cleaned up, Rafael realized he was starving. It was dinner time, so perfect to get a bite to eat. 

“So, where’s dinner, Mr. Hipster?”

“Uh, well, now I don’t wanna tell you.”

Rafael gave him a confused look. “You know I’d figure it out, right? Unless you plan to blindfold me. Which I won’t agree to until the, mmm, tenth date.”

“We’re having a tenth date?” Sonny asked coyly. 

“Not at this rate.”

Sonny chuckled. “Well, you decide something, then.”

Rafael rolled his eyes. “Just tell me.”

Sonny sighed. “I, uh, thought we could go to this great restaurant and listen to some live jazz.”

“Carisi,” Rafael said, shocked. He kind of expected a trendier restaurant. “That’s the first good idea you’ve ever had. Personally and professionally.”

Sonny rolled his eyes, then. “Whatever.” He was still smiling. 

Rafael grinned and grabbed his hand. “I’m pleasantly surprised by your choice. Keep it up, Detective, and there will be a tenth date.”

“I can guarantee it,” Sonny agreed. 

The restaurant was even better than Rafael had expected. The food was amazing, the music even better, and his company was sweet as the saxophone dripping from the stage. 

Seeing Sonny so happy, seeing the man smile and lean in for a kiss every once in a while, Rafael was almost prepared to let Sonny continue to plan dates. 

Almost. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
